Using Nonfiction Trade Books in the Elementary Classroom: from Ants to Zeppelins
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 346 468 CS 213 382 AUTHOR Freeman, Evelyn B., Ed.; Person, Diane Goetz, Ed. TITLE Using Nonfiction Trade Books in the Elementary Classroom: From Ants to Zeppelins. INSTITUTION National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, ReIPORT NO ISBN-0-8141-1811-9 PUB DATE 92 NOTE 191p.; Developed by the Committee on Using Nonfiction in the Elementary Language Arts Classroom. AVAILABLE FROMNational Council of Teachers of English, 1111 Kenyon Rd., Urbana, IL 61801 (Stock No. 18119-0015; $8.95 members, $11.95 nonmembers). PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use - Teaching Guides (For Teacher)(052) -- Collected Works - General (020) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Books; *Childrens Literature; Class Activities; Elementary Education; Fine Arts; High Risk Students; Literary Genres; *Nonfiction; Publishing Industry; tReading Material Selection; Reading Writing Relationship; Science Instruction; Social Studies; Thematic Alproach IDENTIFIERS *Trade Books ABSTRACT Intended primarily for classroom teachers, this book discusses the genre of nonfiction, the link between nonfiction and elementary curriculum, and specific ways to integrate nonfiction into the elementary classroom. The book's 16 essays and their authors are as follows: (1) "Fact or Fiction?" (Russell Freedman); (2) "The Evolution of a Science Writer" (Patricia Lauber); (3) "The Rise and Fall and Rise of Juve.lile Nonfiction, 1961-1988" (James Cross Giblin); (4) "The Nonfiction Scene: What's Happening?" (Barbara Elleman);(5) "Trends and Evaluative Criteria of Informational Books for Children" (Frances Smardo Dowd); (6) "The Voice of Learning: Teacher, Child, and Text" (Bette Bosma);(7) "On the Road to Literacy: Pathways through Science Trade Books" (Marjorie Slavick Frank); (8) "Windows through Time: Literature of the Social Studies" (Diane Goetz Person and Bernice E. Cullinan); (9) "Reading Aloud and Responding to Nonfiction: Let's Talk about It" (Sylvia M. Vardell and Kathleen A. Copeland); (10) "Reading and Writing Connection: Supporting Content-Area Literacy through Nonfiction Trade Books" (Rosemary A. Salesi); (11) "Invite Children to Respond Uting the Fine Arts" (Patricia Grasty Gaines); (12) "Nonfiction Books in the Primary Classroom: Soaring with the Swans" (Peter Roop); (13) "Get Real, Teacher! What Happens When At-Risk Middle-School Readers Become Involved with Nonfiction" (Nancy DeVries Guth); (14) "Using a Nonfiction Author Study in the Classroom" (Judith W. Keck); (15) "Using Informational Books to Develop Reference Skills" (M. Jean Greenlaw); and (16) ',Putting It All Together: Theme Teaching with Nonfiction Books" (Evelyn B. Freeman). Appendixes list reference works cited, children's books cited, nonfiction book awards, and sources for nonfiction book titles. (SR) oro Ye. ?kD ,=*),k 4t4t44t'r CeZ 1 4V: e c!" PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED bY la TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ,tios INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Once of Educational Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION fDITED BY CENTER (ERIC) o This document nal been riproctuced as received trom the person oorganization originating it EVELYN B. FREEMAN 0 Minor changes nave been male improve reproduction duality AND Pointe of view Or opinions stated in this dot o- men? 00 not necessarily represent otticist OERI position or policy DIANE GOETZ PERSON 2 BEST COPY AVAILANimic Using Nonfiction Trade Books in the Elementary Classroom Committee on Using Nonfiction in the Elementary Language Arts Classroom Evelyn B. Freeman, Chair, The Ohio State University at Newark Bette Bosma, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan Barbara Elleman, American Library Association Patricia Grasty Gaines, West Chester University, Pennsylvania M. Jean Green law, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas Judith W. Keck, Licking County Schools, Newark, Ohio Diane Goetz Person, Columbia University, New York Peter Roop, McKinley Elementary School, App1,2ton, Wisconsin Rosemary A. Salesi, University of Maine at Orono Sylvia M. Vardell, University of Texas at Arlington Using Nonfiction Trade Books in the Elementary Classroom From Ants to Zeppelins Edited by Evelyn B. Freeman The Ohio State University at Newark Diane Goetz Person Columbia University National Council of Teachers of English 1111 Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801 To my father, a voracious reader of nonfiction, and to the memory of my nother. EBF To my husband, all my children, and my friends, who were so supportive, and to my mother, who promised me. DGP Grateful acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint excerpts from Operation Grizzly Bear by Marion Calabro. Copyright © 1989 by Marian Calabro. Reprinted with the permission of Four Winds Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Company. NCTE Editorial Board: Richard Abrahamson, Celia Genishi, Joyce Kinkead, Louise Wetherbee Phelps, Gladys V. Veidemanis, Charles Suhor, ex officio, Michael Spooner, ex officio Manuscript Editor: Jane M. Curran Production Editor: Rona S. Smith Cover Design: R. Maul Interior Design: Doug Burnett NCTE Stock Number 18119-3050 © 1992 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Copyrights to chapters by Russell Freedman, Patricia Lauber, James Cross Giblin, Frances Smardo Dowd, Marjorie Slavick Frank, and M. Jean Greenlaw remain with the authors thereof or with the publication cited as the original publisher. Used by permission. It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teach- ing of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Using nonfiction trade books in the elementary classroom: from ants to zeppelins/edited by Evelyn B. Freeman, Diane Goetz Person. p.cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-8141-1811-9 1. Education, ElementaryUnited StatesCurricula, 2. Children United StatesBooks and reading. 3.TeachingAids and devices. I. Freeman, Evelyn B. (Evelyn Blossom), 1948-. iI. Person, Diane Goetz. III. National Council of Teachers of English. IV. Title. LB 1570.U491992 92-4777 372.13'2dc20 C1P V Contenb Introduction vii I. Understanding the Genre of Nonfiction 1. Fact or Fiction? Russell Freedman 2. The Evolution of a Science Writer 11 Patricia Lauber 3. The Rise and Fall and Rise of Juvenile Nonfiction, 1S,61-1988 17 James Cross Gib lin 4 The Nonfiction Scene: What's Happening?. 26 Barbara Elleman 5. Trends and Evaluative Criteria of Informational Booksfor Children 34 Frances Smardo Dowd II. Linking Nonfiction to the Elementary Curriculum 6. The Voice of Learning: Teacher, Child, and Text 46 Bette Bosma 7. On the Road to Literacy: Pathways through ScienceTrade Books 55 Marjorie Slavick Frank 8. Windows through Time: Literature of theSocial Studies 65 Diane Goetz Person and Bernice E. Cullinan 9. Reading Aloud and Responding to Nonfiction:Lees Talk about It 76 Sylvia M. Vardell and Kathleen A. Copeland 10. Reading and Writing Connection: SupportingContent-Area Literacy through Nonfiction Trade Books 86 Rosemary A. Salesi 11.Invite Children to Respond Using the Fine Arts 95 Patricia Grasty Gaines 7 Vi Contents ill. Finding a Place for Nonfiction in the Elementary Classroom 12. Nonfiction Books in the Primary Classroom: Soaring with the Swans 106 Peter Roop 13. Get Real, Teacher! What Happens When At-Risk Middle- School Readers Become Involved with Nonfiction 113 Nancy De Vries Guth 14. Using a Nonfiction Author Study in the Classroom 123 Judith W. Keck 15. Using Informational Books to Develop Reference Skills 131 M. Jean Green law 16.Putting It All Together: Theme Teaching with Nonfiction Books 146 Evelyn B. Freeman Reference Works Cited 153 Children's Books Cited 15c., Nonfiction Book Awards 170 Sources for Selecting Nonfiction Titles 173 Index of Authors of Children's Books 175 Index of Titles of Children's Books 177 Editors 181 Con tribu tors 182 vii Introduction The Committee on Using Nonfiction in the Elementary Language Arts Classroom was established by the National Council of Teachers of English several years ago to promote the use of child- ren's nonfiction literature. One of the charges of our committee was to prepare publicafions thatcould be disseminated widely to teachers. This book is the result of the efforts of committee members and others who advocate that nonfiction share an equal status with picture books and fiction in the elementary classroom. Authors, librar- ians, university professors, and classroom teachers have contributed their knowledge and ideas on all facets of nonfiction, its relationship to the elementary curriculum, and the myriad possibilities for its use with children. We have struggled in our committee with the term nonfiction. Some prefer this term since it represents the generally acceptedDewey decimal classification of the books we are discussing. Others,however, take umbrage with the term and feel it connotes an inferior relationship to fiction. They would substitute the term informationalbooks since it is this kind of book, along with biography, that we are discussing. Indeed, the Dewey decimal classification of nonfiction also includes poetry and folkloie, which we do not address in this book or in our committee. Recent library